Bus Slips Off Trailer and Hits Tram in Belgrade
A bus being hauled on a truck came loose in the morning on Bulevar kralja Aleksandra, rolled backward and struck a tram. According to RTS, no one was injured, and tram service was halted.
- A bus being hauled on a truck came loose in the morning on Bulevar kralja Aleksandra and struck a tram.
- According to RTS, there were no injuries.
- Tram service was halted, and traffic on the boulevard was seriously disrupted during rush hour.
- Several lines were rerouted onto shortened stretches while the scene was cleared.
An unusual traffic incident slowed the morning rush in central Belgrade. In the morning hours of July 26, a bus that was being hauled on a truck came loose on Bulevar kralja Aleksandra. The vehicle rolled backward and struck a tram traveling along the same stretch.
According to RTS, no one was injured in the incident. Emergency crews and police were on the scene, directing traffic and carrying out an inspection. There was material damage, though its extent has not yet been officially reported.
Bulevar kralja Aleksandra is one of the busiest thoroughfares in the city. The incident happened just as both tram and road traffic were at their daily peak. As a result, the backup was felt quickly across a wider area.
How the incident happened
According to first reports, the bus had been loaded onto a truck that was hauling it. At one point the vehicle came loose from the platform and, with no driver at the wheel, rolled backward down the roadway. Along the way it struck a tram.
The exact cause of the detachment will be determined by the relevant services through their inspection. In cases like this, investigators check whether the load was properly secured and whether the rules for transporting oversized vehicles were followed. Until official findings are in, this remains preliminary information from the scene.
For now there is no indication that any tram passenger or passerby was hurt. Given the location and the timing, that is the most important outcome of the situation. Incidents involving the uncontrolled movement of heavy vehicles in dense traffic can have far more serious consequences.
What did the incident mean for the morning commute?
The impact on public transport was felt by thousands of passengers. Tram service on that stretch was halted until the scene was cleared. Several lines were rerouted onto shortened stretches in the meantime.
Some trams ran only to nearer turning loops instead of their regular terminals. Passengers on those routes were directed to other means of transport or to walk to the next stops. The congestion spilled over onto nearby streets used for detour traffic.
Road traffic through the boulevard moved with difficulty, with fewer lanes open. Police guided vehicles around the scene while the bus and the damaged tram were being removed. Conditions returned to normal once the vehicles were cleared from the roadway.
Situations like this once again raise the question of safety when large vehicles are moved through the city core. How can we ensure that oversized loads are transported without putting other road users at risk?
